The European Jewish Association on Monday issued an open letter calling on the new mayor of Split, Ivica Puljak, and deputy mayor Bojan Ivosevic, to ensure the adoption of the definition of antisemitism defined by IHRA, and thus play a positive role in the condemnation of antisemitism.

IHRA’s non-binding working definition of antisemitism, adopted in 2016, reads that “antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

IHRA stands for the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, intergovernmental organisation mandated to focus solely on Holocaust-related issues.

The open letter signed by the European Jewish Association’s founder and president, Rabbi Menachem Margolin, reads that this association followed the developments in Croatia during the recent local elections with great concern.

The letter was prompted by video footage showing the newly elected mayor Ivica Puljak singing an Ustasha song. Puljak did that in his youth. Furthermore the association notes that this mayor recently tried to defend his deputy Ivosevic who was involved in discussions on neo-Nazi ideologies.

“We followed the events that took place in Croatia during the just-concluded local elections with much concern. At a time of growing antisemitism in Europe, it is not often the case that in the second largest city of an EU member state, people who have had either an antisemitic outburst or pro-Nazi excesses are elected to two leading positions,” reads the EJA’s letter.

“If that were not bad enough, this behavior was in fact excused. The incident of the newly elected mayor of Split singing the Ustasha song is worrying enough.

“That this same Mayor then sought to defend his deputy, who devoted discussions advocating neo-Nazi ideology, understands it and justifies it, is a deeply worrying precedent even taking into consideration the scale of modern antisemitism that we have just alluded to across the continent of Europe.”

Quick condemnation by PM Plenkovic and Minister Bozinovic welcomed 

The association says that it applauds “the courageous and quick condemnation of such behavior by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Mr. Andrej Plenkovic, and the condemnation of both of these acts on election night itself by the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Davor Bozinovic.”

“Nevertheless, the behavior of the newly elected leaders of the city of Split is incomprehensible because, despite offering a public apology, they don’t understand the dangers of such behavior in the public space in the European family of countries,” said the EJA.

“In many instances, such behavior would prompt an immediate withdrawal from public life of such persons. There should be zero-tolerance for any expression of antisemitic and pro-Nazi views, attitudes and ideas.

“We therefore call upon the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the city Split to play a positive role in condemning antisemitism by signing up their city to the IHRA definition of antisemitism. Were this to be the case it would be a fitting drawing of a line under this incident,” the association said.